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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

PAS urges 'undemocratic' Guan Eng to reinstate Iszuree

The PAS national land bureau today urged the Penang state government to reverse its decision to sack Iszuree Ibrahim, saying his criticism on local land development issues last week was because there was no response to his letters and memorandum over the past year.

Bureau chairman Mazlan Aliman urged chief minister Lim Guan Eng to reverse the decision to sack Iszuree, a councillor with the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP), as he had been constructive in raising the problem at the PAS assembly on September 19.

“I say this because we undertook every effort to have discussions with the state government, even when it was led by (former chief minister) Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, but there was no response,” he said at a press conference in Penang this evening .

He said the bureau had sent a letter to Lim in July last year, requesting a meeting to discuss land ownership and heritage protection problems in Penang, but received no response.

“Till today we have not been able to see him to convey the anguish and complaints on these issues,” he said, adding that the party had also sent a report to the state on helping Kampung Mutiara in Batu Ferringhi which was threatened with eviction.

The bureau had also met deputy chief minister (I) Datuk Rashid Hasnon and his predecessor Datuk Mansor Othman during his tenure before May 2013, as well as executive councillor Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, he added.

He said Iszuree had then expressed the views, shared by the national bureau and Penang PAS, at the party’s national assembly, just as DAP and PKR members would express their views on issues at their respective gatherings.

“Our objective is to help strengthen the state government from the legacy of the BN, and heighten the integrity and authority of the state,” he said.

“I hope Lim can scrutinise and consider what we have raised. We are not trying to find fault,” he added.

Iszuree, who is the PAS whip in the council, was ejected from all committees he was in through a decision of the state executive council on September 25.

Mazlan said PAS has only two members among the 24 councillors in the MPPP.

“Iszuree is one Penang PAS’s most committed and vocal members, seeking justice for all,” he added.

He said the eviction problem is serious as about 20 villages have been affected, with the latest being the 150-year-old Kampung Siam in Pulau Tikus.

He also called for a discussion with the state government for a mechanism to be conceived to help and protect villagers who are threatened.

He added that PAS is hosting a roundtable on issues affecting the Malay community on November 2 with the hope of coming up with a resolution for a land policy, especially for Malay settlements.

PAS has also decided to raise a motion in Parliament on Malay reserve lands and rehabilitation of traditional Malay kampungs, he added.

Iszuree said he had been constructive in his speech, but has now been muted in expressing his concerns as councillor by the sacking.

“This is not good for a democratic government,” he said.

“I was disappointed they did not even call me for an explanation before removing me. That is not proper.”

He added that he had sent the text of his speech to Lim, Rashid and the councillors to clarify that he had not disparaged the state as had been reported.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who is the party’s Penang commissioner, is scheduled to meet Lim on the matter on Thursday. –TMI